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the complementary part of each severed soul is discovered. The modern concept of
marriage is to a certain degree founded upon this ideal.

According to the other school, the so-called division of the sexes resulted from
suppression of one pole of the androgynous being in order that the vital energies
manifesting through it might be diverted to development of the rational faculties. From
this point of view man is still actually androgynous and spiritually complete, but in the
material world the feminine part of man's nature and the masculine part of woman's
nature are quiescent. Through spiritual unfoldment and knowledge imparted by the
Mysteries, however, the latent element in each nature is gradually brought into activity
and ultimately the human being thus regains sexual equilibrium. By this theory woman is
elevated from the position of being man's errant part to one of complete equality. From
this point of view, marriage is regarded as a companionship in which two complete
individualities manifesting opposite polarities are brought into association that each may
thereby awaken the qualities latent in the other and thus assist in the attainment of
individual completeness. The first theory may be said to regard marriage as an end; the
second as a means to an end. The deeper schools of philosophy have leaned toward the
latter as more adequately acknowledging the infinite potentialities of divine completeness
in both aspects of creation.

The Christian Church is fundamentally opposed to the theory of marriage, claiming that
the highest degree of spirituality is achievable only by those preserving the virginal state.
This concept seemingly originated among certain sects of the early Gnostic Christians,
who taught that to propagate the human species was to increase and perpetuate the power
of the Demiurgus; for the lower world was looked upon as an evil fabrication created to
ensnare the souls of all born into it--hence it was a crime to assist in bringing souls to
earth. When, therefore, the unfortunate father or mother shall stand before the Final
Tribunal, all their offspring will also appear and accuse them of being the cause of those
miseries attendant upon physical existence. This view is strengthened by the allegory of
Adam and Eve, whose sin through which humanity has been brought low is universally
admitted to have been concerned with the mystery of generation. Mankind, owing to
Father Adam its physical existence, regards its progenitor as the primary cause of its
misery; and in the judgment Day, rising up as a mighty progeny, will accuse its common
paternal ancestor.

Those Gnostic sects maintaining a more rational attitude on the subject declared the very
existence of the lower worlds to signify that the Supreme Creator had a definite purpose
in their creation; to doubt his judgment was, therefore, a grievous error. The church,
however, seemingly arrogated to itself the astonishing prerogative of correcting God in
this respect, for wherever possible it continued to impose celibacy, a practice resulting in
an alarming number of neurotics. In the Mysteries, celibacy is reserved for those who
have reached a certain degree of spiritual unfoldment. When advocated for the mass of
unenlightened humanity, however, it becomes a dangerous heresy, fatal alike to both
religion and philosophy. As Christendom in its fanaticism has blamed every individual
Jew for the crucifixion of Jesus, so with equal consistency it has maligned every member